Our New Normal
by YahLiz
Summary: Kate comes home to an adorable realization and sleepy Castle fuels the fluff. A small birthday gift to my muse.


**Our Normal**

**Short little one shot for by best friend and muse, Nadine. Happy birthday, my dearest companion; may only fortune guide your journey.**

"**I just want them to do something cute and adorable. Something that people that have been together for awhile do. Something just. . . normal." –a paraphrase of her birthday prompt to me.**

Kate Beckett traipsed into Castle's loft a little before twelve o'clock after spending almost two full days at the precinct. Exhausted didn't even being to describe how her body and mind felt; if anything it was too mild. The loft was slightly lit, the living room and kitchen lights pushed down to half their dimmer's brightness. It made everything seem ambient and romantic, and even though she loved when Castle did these cute fluffy things for her, tonight she honestly couldn't stay awake. She shuffled her way into the kitchen where a vase of red roses left long and uncut resided on the kitchen island. She smiled as she rubbed a petal between her fingers, he had remembered how much she loved to cut and arrange her own flowers. How adorable.

Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of the kitchen and noticed the two dessert plates next to two empty wine glasses left spotless on the counter, as if waiting for her arrival. Her brow furrowed, had she missed an anniversary? Almost silently, she padded across the living room, noting that the stereo system was on and probably primed for some overly affectionate love ballad, and made her way toward the closed doors of Rick's office.

Upon opening the door Kate was slightly disappointed to find that it was empty. She had expected to see him clicking away at his keyboard or sitting naked behind his desk, again, waiting impatiently for her to return home. Kate's mind was still rolling through her memories of the last week, trying to remember if Castle had said something about tonight being special. Her brain's sudden need to solve was throwing her fatigued body for a loop and Kate found herself stumbling into Castle's bedroom to calm her mind. The mystery could wait one night; she desperately needed sleep.

That's when she noticed him.

He had slicked back his hair, shaved off the slight beard he had been prominently displaying for the past few weeks, leaving him clean shaven and looking so much younger. He had fallen asleep clad only in his finest boxers and Kate grinned at his adorable attempt at a romantic evening. Quietly making her way into the room, she shed herself of her button up and blazer, along with her jeans, before sliding into the bed trying not to disturb her sleeping partner. She snuggled in close to him, breathing him in as she ran her hands up his naked torso, letting her fingers draw meaningless symbols upon his sternum. This is all she needed, she realized, as he let out a small moan at her contact and began to stir. She didn't need the flowers, the desserts, or the music, although she greatly appreciated his amorous gestures. She just needed him: next to her, with her, breathing with her, sleeping with her, inside her, all of it; because he was her one-and-done and she was his muse and that's all she ever wanted.

"Mmmmm," Castle mumbled as a grin tugged at his lips, "that feels amazing, Kate." He ran his fingers up and down her arm as she continued to fondle his chest. She grinned and scooted closer as he turned his body to meet hers.

"Hey sleepy head, sorry I didn't make it home for your surprise." Kate placed a small kiss to the tip of his nose to which he responded by rubbing the tip of his noes against hers, eyes still closed from sleep.

"It's okay. We'll just eat the red velvet cupcakes in the morning for breakfast." She let out a chuckle and slowly slid her hand up and around to the back of his head to play with the fine hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Sounds good, Writer Boy, but what were they for? What are _all_ your little tokens for? Our anniversary isn't for another few months." Kate finally asked, hoping his answer would calm her still stirring mind.

"They're not _for_ anything. You just deserve them," he answered in an overly sleepy tone, still caught between asleep and fully awake.

His sincere answer made her stomach flutter and a slow beautiful burn to reside in her chest. She brought bother her hands up and cupped his face, letting her thumbs glide over his smooth jaw line.

"Thank you, Rick. It's all wonderful." She replied, allowing the words to release right before she gently placed her lips to his in a light and appreciative gesture. She pulled away and rested her forehead against his. Their breath mingled, and she liked that the heat from his mouth blew upon her chest in their position. He had placed one of his hands at her waist and was gently rubbing her hip bone with the pad of his thumb. The soothing rhythm of his circular motions at her hip and his deep breaths relaxed her and it slowly became too difficult to keep her eyes open.

"I'm so tired, Castle." She murmured as her fingers slowly began to still.

"Then sleep, my detective." He muttered into her ear, placing light kisses across her cheek as he retreated back to their forehead position. She smiled at his reply and wriggled deeper into the sheets.

"I like this." Her sleep induced self slurred.

"Hmm?" Castle responded, also on the cusp of dreamland.

"Us. This. That us together is our normal now." It was convoluted, but her admission woke Castle up enough for him to squeeze her tighter too him.

"I like our new normal now, too." He replied on a whisper.

Kate smiled and finally drifted into the darkness of sleep and Castle soon joined her. Their foreheads still touching, hands and legs intertwined in a cocoon of heat. And a writer and a detective fell asleep together on the bustling island of Manhattan; both finding that their new normal was all they wanted for the rest of their lives.

**Here you go, Dean. Happy twenty-fourth birthday. **

**I know it's short and probably too sweet, but let me know what you think. More one-shots and chapter updates soon, I promise!**


End file.
